How Often Does the Eiffel Tower Get a Fresh Coat of Paint?

As one of the world's most recognizable landmarks, attracting around six million visitors every year, it's important for the Eiffel Tower to always look its best. And it's located in Paris – arguably the most fashionable city on the planet – so it just wouldn't do for the Eiffel Tower to have peeling or discolored paint. But there's a more important reason why the Parisian monument has been repainted 19 times since its construction in 1889.

The Eiffel Tower is made of puddle (wrought) iron, which means the monument should endure for centuries as long as it is protected from oxidation and other damaging factors such as pollution and bird droppings. This theoretical longevity involves keeping the iron covered with several layers of paint. In accordance with the wishes of Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed the structure, approximately every seven years, the paint is stripped, the metal is cleaned, and rust-proofing agents are applied before the final coats of paint go on.

Just as it was done more than a century ago, this process is completed almost entirely by hand by around 50 specialist painters – no mean feat for a structure with a height of 1,083 feet (330 m) and a surface area of 2.6 million ft² (250,000 m²). Approximately 66 tons (60 tonnes) of paint are required for the operation, which typically lasts around 18 months.

Keeping "The Iron Lady" looking her best: